Sometimes, you buy something that makes you realize you should always take the time to check product labeling before purchase. That’s what happened with me when I grabbed a packet of Buddy Dean Mild & Creamy Non-Dairy Creamer at a Bangkok supermarket yesterday. Once at home, it was only then I checked the packaging and realized with horror, if I’d actually read the ingredients, I would never have bought Buddy Dean Mild & Creamy Non-Dairy Creamer in the first place.
On first look, Buddy Dean Mild & Creamy Non-Dairy Creamer seems like it might be an okay occasional alternative for someone who doesn’t drink milk or dairy products like me and doesn’t always have soy milk on hand. The front of the package proudly proclaims ‘Made in U.S.A’ (it’s not!) and then states ‘Non-dairy creamer from soybean oil’. That’s why I figured, if I ran out of actual soy milk, Buddy Dean might be fine to use in my coffee now and again.
In my rush to grab a non-dairy creamer, of course, I neglected to read the package correctly and all I saw was ‘soybean’ but not the word ‘oil’.
Upon further perusal of the back of the packaging, however, I couldn’t believe this stuff was in my house as, properly informed, I would never have taken it off the shelf and, god forbid, would certainly never have paid for it.
So, why is Buddy Dean Mild & Creamy Non-Dairy Creamer one of the most unhealthy products I’ve had in my house – ever? Look at the ingredients:
Corn Syrup 50 percent (it will make you fatter than just eating sugar)
Soybean Oil 38 percent (high-fat)
And that’s it. God knows what the other 12 percent of the ingredients are in Buddy Dean Mild & Creamy Non-Dairy Creamer, as they aren’t even listed.
Add onto that the ‘Made in U.S.A’ claim on the front, with the print on the back saying ‘Manufactured and Distributed by KTY Foods International’ in Bangkok, no less, and no, it will be a cold day in hell before I consume or buy Buddy Dean Mild & Creamy Non-Dairy Creamer again.
In fact, you couldn’t pay me to put this stuff in my body. Luckily, it was only 37 baht ($1.20), so when I chuck this non-dairy creamer in the garbage I’m not wasting much money.